A Quarter of Creative and Marketing Professionals Move Companies in the Last Year

LONDON, October 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Over a quarter of people in permanent creative and marketing positions moved companies in the last year, according to an online survey of over 1,400 creative and marketing professionals.

Major Players, the creative industry's largest recruiter, conducted their 2012 Salary Survey via an online campaign to permanent and freelance candidates this summer.

Highly mobile job market

It found a highly mobile market both internally within organisations and externally to competitors, with more movement at a junior and midweight level for the same or even less pay as ambitious creatives and marketers prioritised career development.  

Jack Gratton, Major Players CEO, said, "1 in 4 people (29%) surveyed on their salaries moved companies in the last year, with 16% moving at the same level and 13% for a promotion."

"The survey also found that only half of people who moved companies at the same level received a pay rise (50%) with 37% staying on the same pay and 13% taking a pay cut."

"In this market, creatives know they have to fight harder and sometimes make sacrifices to gain that top-level experience and stand out from the crowd - this combined with the invention required for sophisticated digital, integrated and social media campaigns is creating an increasingly elastic job market, not just in freelance but in perm as well."    

Permanent

Across the entire industry around half (46%) of all creative and marketing professionals changed companies or positions in the last year, with 54% reporting no change in their role or employer.

Internal promotion was achieved by 1 in 6 of permanent professionals with 17% of those surveyed receiving one, suggesting retention remains a priority for a significant number of companies.

Overall, salaries remained strong, rising with inflation or otherwise across the permanent market in both creative and marketing, with 61% of the total surveyed reporting a rise in their pay. 35% reported a freeze in their pay and 4% took a pay cut.

Freelance

"Looking at our freelance survey, day rates remain lucrative, with the majority of freelancers surveyed (43%) earning between £200-£300 per day," said Jack. "We are also seeing the ascent of a new breed of high-level super freelancers, with 14% of freelancers surveyed earning £400+ a day. In the current climate our clients see these experts as both a business strategy towards better resourcing and the spark that will drive innovative creativity."

"There were also significantly more men freelancing than women, 61% male compared to 39% female, and this went up to 88% in Digital Technical jobs."

Day rates saw less growth than permanent salaries - only 40% of freelancers surveyed reported a rise in their day rate compared to 52% who said their rate had frozen and 8% who said it had fallen.

When Major Players survey asked what would tempt them to take a permanent role, career development was the most popular choice (55%), followed by quality of work (43%) and, jointly, ownership & involvement (36%) and security (36%).

Major Players Salary Survey covers: Account Management & Planning, Content & Editorial, Creative, Creative Services, Design & Branding, Marketing, Media Planning & Buying, Media Sales, PR & Comms, Research, Insight & Analysis, Sponsorship, Experiential & Events, and Technical jobs.

To view the full salary survey click here:

http://www.majorplayers.co.uk/candidates/salary-survey-2012.html